Views: 7
Syrian minorities fear new leadership: 35 executions in 72 hours
Shafaq News/ Armed groups loyal to Syria’s new leadership carried out 35 executions over the past three days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Monday, as concerns grow over escalating abuses and minority safety in post-Assad Syria.
SOHR stated that opposition authorities, who ousted President Bashar al-Assad last month, detained dozens of fighters from factions linked to the ruling coalition. These fighters are accused of committing severe violations, including extrajudicial killings and abuses, during security operations in northern and western rural Homs.
“These arrests follow grave violations, including summary executions and the humiliation of dozens of individuals from minority sects, such as Alawites, Shia, and Murshidis, in villages across the region,” the Observatory said. It added that the chaos and proliferation of weapons enabled these crimes, often carried out by individuals seeking favor with the new military leadership.
The reported abuses extend to mass arrests, desecration of religious symbols, and acts of violence described by the Observatory as “unprecedented level of violence,” including corpse mutilation and brutal killings targeting civilians.
Syrian state news agency SANA quoted current authorities as distancing themselves from the incidents, stating that “a criminal group exploited the situation to commit abuses against residents, impersonating security forces.”
Minority groups, including Alawites, Armenians, Kurds, Shia Muslims, Ismailis, Druze, and Christians, have expressed fears of retribution under the emerging Islamist leadership, whose governance framework remains unclear. Many, particularly Alawites—the sect of former President Al-Assad—have fled the country, often through Lebanon, fearing reprisals.
Before Al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s religious minorities enjoyed relative freedom of worship, leading some to oppose the 2011 uprising. Now, fears of sectarian violence have grown as these groups face uncertainty in the new political landscape.
Human Rights Watch has urged Syria’s new rulers to deploy security forces where needed to protect vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities, often perceived as loyal to the previous government. The organization also called for inclusive governance, ensuring that minorities and political factions from diverse backgrounds are involved in shaping Syria’s future.